Selina Yuan

It was in first grade when I was first introduced to poetry through a class project where we created our own poetry books. Each page featured a different style – haiku, ode, acrostic, cinquain… But my favorite? Free verse. There were no rules, no strict structure, just my ideas and however I chose to express them. As I grew older, I realized it wasn’t just poetry I enjoyed, but writing in general. Poetry had simply been the door that led me into a larger world of creative expression. In middle school, while most students groaned at the mention of journaling in composition notebooks, I was delighted. To me, it felt like opening a window and letting in fresh air. Over time, writing became more than just a school assignment; it turned into a personal outlet. That poetry book wasn’t just a school project – it opened the door to a passion I still carry today.